A Mother's Day Message from our CEO

This Mother's Day, I'll be celebrating with my sons - the bond we have and the bright future they can look forward to. I also will be celebrating generations of women - many of whom are mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers - that have come together (with many men) as Girl Scout leaders and volunteers to uplift, inspire, support, encourage and guide the nearly 28,000 girls we have the privilege of serving in New York City.

It is an unfortunate truth, however, that many families here in New York City, including some of our Girl Scout families, live in neighborhoods that are unsafe and that offer no good recreational or after-school options. Too many of our children attend schools that don't give them a fair shot at a decent education. Children too often are not given the chance to explore careers deemed out of their reach, experience environments that stimulate their curiosity and self-confidence, or discover that they have talents and skills in up-and-coming areas like STEM. Instead, the mothers and grandmothers of these girls and boys worry daily about their children and their future.

These situations aren't limited to New York City - they can be found across our country. They represent national problems that impact our collective future. If our girls and boys aren't safe, if they can't learn freely and receive a good education, if they aren't given the opportunities to reach their potential - where will that leave all of us?

At Girls Scouts of Greater New York, we recognize the need for a solid support structure that allows our girls to grow up to become the happy, successful, healthy adults we all want them to become. Our programming is geared toward encouraging all girls to aim high, discover their talents, and pursue their dreams both large and small. Our Girl Scout leaders, volunteers, board, and staff make a promise that we will help the girls we serve as best we can to develop courage, confidence and character so that they can make the world a better place.

I cannot close without empathizing with the suffering of the mothers of the more than 300 Nigerian girls abducted a month ago from their school by individuals who oppose educating girls. Now the world is starting to pay attention. This past week, all 20 female U.S. Senators (yes, there are only 20) spoke up on behalf of the girls in Nigeria. We can too! Let's #BringBackOurGirls -- those in Nigeria, and countless others around the world.

This Mother's Day I hope you will celebrate your mom. But I also encourage you to find ways to engage on behalf of all our girls by bringing the tools, learning environments, and supportive programming to every neighborhood - so that in the future mothers across the city can celebrate their children's bright futures on this day. The more girls we prepare to make the world a better place, the sooner it will happen. Happy Mother's Day!